Two Councilmen coming up for re-election

The stage is being set for an election involving the Hannibal City Council. First reading was given a bill Tuesday night that approves having a municipal election on April 8, 2014.

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By DANNY HENLEYdanny.henley@courierpost.com

Hannibal Courier - Post - Hannibal, MO

By DANNY HENLEYdanny.henley@courierpost.com

Posted Nov. 19, 2013 at 8:34 PM

By DANNY HENLEYdanny.henley@courierpost.com

Posted Nov. 19, 2013 at 8:34 PM

HANNIBAL

The stage is being set for an election involving the Hannibal City Council. First reading was given a bill Tuesday night that approves having a municipal election on April 8, 2014.

Up for consideration will be the Council seats in the Fifth and Sixth Wards. James Hark is the current Fifth Ward representative. The Sixth Ward incumbent is Jamie Locke.

Locke has sat on the Council since last December when the City Council appointed him to fill the vacant Sixth Ward seat. Locke succeeded Dr. Richard Draper, who resigned from the Council in late October because of work conflicts.

According to city ordinances, Locke could only serve until the next scheduled municipal election, which took place this past April when he ran unopposed. That win gave Locke the right serve the remainder of the unexpired term. Locke now has the opportunity to seek a full term.

Ironically, James Hark also was initially appointed to fill a vacancy on the Council. In 2010 he was selected in August to fill the Fifth Ward vacancy created when Jim Behymer resigned in June of that year.

James Hark was elected to a full term by Fifth Ward voters for the first time in April 2011 when he ran unopposed.

The filing period will begin at 8 a.m. on Dec. 17 and end at 5 p.m. on Jan. 21. Candidates can register at the city clerk’s office at city hall.

In other business:

• Jeff Arp of the Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Management Association was on hand to make a security grant presentation to the Hannibal Police Department. The $5,617 grant will be used by HPD to enhance its surveillance system.

• Poage, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep’s bid was accepted to provide the Parks and Recreation Department with two 1-ton 4x4 trucks. Poage’s bid of $52,792 was the lowest of three bids received.

Because the bid is lower than what was budgeted, the savings will be used to purchase new playground equipment for Huckleberry Park, according to Andy Dorian, director of the Parks Department.

• Second and final reading was given a bill authorizing the issuance of sewer revenue bonds. The measure was given an emergency first reading at a special Council meeting on Nov. 12.

• Because of delays in the layout/design work on the Hannibal Convention and Visitors Bureau’s 2014 visitors guide, the HCVB was granted permission to void its contract with the project’s low bidder, BFM Graphics, and award the work to the second lowest bidder, Next to Nothing Designs, whose bid was $3,660.

• Approval was given a resolution establishing a tax-exempt financing compliance policy and procedures. The new policy will cover both the city and Board of Public Works.

• Final reading was given a bill that allows a portion of an alley to be vacated near Rock Street and a walking area near the old bridge approach. The alley is platted, but undeveloped and unnecessary to the city, according to Mark Rees, director of public works. The request from Linda O’Donnell was previously OK’d by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

• The following appointments were approved: Beverly Stewart was reappointed to the Employee Benefit Trust Board for a term to expire in May 2016; Jim Dewey and Robert Saxbury were reappointed to the Landmarks and Monument Board for terms to expire in January 2016.